Criminal Court ‘C’ yesterday approved the request made to it by Eugene Shannon, former minister of Lands, Mines and Energy (MLME) named in the Global Witness bribery report as Big Boy 1, to be included in the US$1.5m criminal appearance bond filed by co-defendant Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County. Sherman and two other co-defendants, including former deputy minister for the MLME Ernest C.B. Jones’ (also named Big Boy 2) bond was posted by Omega Insurance Company. “Moreover,” the judge said, “co-defendant Sherman and others in whose favor the criminal appearance bond was filed have also communicated to the company that it would appreciate were the said amount extended to cover Shannon.”Initially, Shannon’s legal team asked the court to allow their client to be included under the US$1.5million criminal appearance bond filed by co-defendant Sherman and other defendants and also approved by the court. Shannon and his co-defendants face charges that include economic sabotage, bribery, criminal conspiracy, facilitation and solicitation.

Source: Daily Observer January 10, 2017 23:48 UTC